Griffith University

Senior lecturer

Contact details for Associate Professor Ben Desbrow

Current teaching areas

• Clinical Dietetics
• Nutrition Assessment
• Exercise and Sports Nutrition
• Professional Placement Program

Research expertise

• Applied sports and clinical nutrition research  
• The effect of nutrition and ergogenic aids on exercise performance
• Food-borne drug research (specifically caffeine and alcohol)

Publications

• Lane SC, Areta J, Bird S, Burke LM, Desbrow B, Hawley JA. The effects of caffeine ingestion on self-selected maximal intensity cycling power output commenced with low or normal muscle glycogen availability. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2013, In press.
• Desbrow B, Leveritt M, Palmer M, Hughes R. Evaluation of a curriculum initiative designed to enhance the research training of dietetics graduates. Nutrition and Dietetics. 2013, In press.
•  Ball L, Desbrow B, Leveritt M. An exploration of individuals’ preferences for nutrition care from Australian primary care health professionals. Australian Journal of Primary Health. 2013, In press.
• Irwin C, Leveritt M, Desbrow B. A Hard Earned Thirst: Workplace Hydration and Attitudes Regarding Post-Shift Alcohol Consumption. Journal of Health, Safety and Environment. 2013, In Press.
• Irwin C.G, Leveritt, M, Shum D, Desbrow B. The effect of dehydration and moderate alcohol consumption on cognitive function and reaction times. Alcohol. 2013, In Press.
• Roberts S, Desbrow B, Grant G, Dukie S, Leveritt M. The effect of prior exercise and protein co-ingestion on the glycaemic response to carbohydrate. Nutrition. 2013 In Press.
• Ball L, Johnson C, Desbrow B, Leveritt M. General Practitioners are Capable of Providing Effective Nutrition Care to Patients with Lifestyle-related Chronic Disease: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Journal of Primary Health Care. 2013 5(1):59-69.
• Schubert M, Desbrow B, Sabapathy S, Leveritt M. Acute exercise and subsequent energy intake: a meta-analysis. Appetite. 2013 63: 92-104.
• Ball L, Desbrow B, Yelland M, Leveritt M. Direct observation of nutrition care practices of Australian General Practitioners. Australian Journal of Primary Health 2012, In Press.
• Desbrow B, Henry M, Scheelings P.  An examination of consumer exposure to caffeine from commercial coffee and coffee flavoured milk: an update. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 2012 28: 114-118.
• Irwin C, Ball L, Desbrow B, Leveritt M. Students’ perceptions of using Facebook® as an interactive learning resource at university. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology. 2012 28(7): 1221-1232.
• Irwin C, Goodwin A, Leveritt M, Davey AK, Desbrow B. Alcohol Pharmacokinetics and Risk-Taking Behaviour Following Exercise-Induced Dehydration. Pharm Biochem Behav. 2012 101(4): 609-616.
• Ball L, Hughes R, Desbrow B, Leveritt M. Patients’ Perceptions of Nutrition Care Received from General Practitioners: Focus on Type 2 Diabetes. Family Practice 2012 (in press)
• Reeves A, Sosnowski K, White H, Leveritt M, Desbrow B. Multi-disciplinary evaluation of a critical care enteral feeding algorithm. Nutr & Dietetics 2012 (in press)
• Desbrow B, Biddulph C, Devlin B, Grant G.D, Anoopkumar-Dukie S, Leveritt M. The effects of different doses of caffeine on one hour of cycling performance. J Sports Sci. 2012 30(2): 115-120
• James J E, Bloomer R, Cox G, Davis J, Desbrow B, Graham T. Caffeine and physical performance. J Caff Res. 2011 1(3): 145-151
• Cody S, Desbrow B, Ferguson M. Queensland metropolitan dietitians: an exploratory investigation of factors affecting workforce engagement. Nutr & Dietetics 2011 68: 195-200
• Irwin C, Desbrow B, Ellis A, O'Keffe B, Grant G, Leveritt M. Caffeine withdrawal and high-intensity endurance cycling performance. J Sport Sci 2011 29(5): 509-515
• Irwin C, Leveritt M, Desbrow B. Development and effectiveness of a placebo beverage similar in sensory properties to an alcoholic beverage. Journal of Alcohol & Drug Education, 55(3), 2011 
• Desbrow B, Leveritt M, Hughes R, Jones L and Scheelings P. An independent analysis of consumer exposure to caffeine from retail coffees. Food Chem Toxic. 2007 45:1588-1592.
• Desbrow B, Barrett C, Minahan C, Grant G and Leveritt M. Caffeine, cycling performance & exogenous CHO oxidation: a dose-response study. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009 41(9):1744-1751.
• Hughes R and Desbrow B. An evaluation of clinical dietetic student placement casemix exposure, service delivery and supervisory burden. Nutr & Dietetics 2010.   
• Desbrow B; Minahan C; Leveritt M. Drink-Flavor Change's Lack of Effect on Endurance Cycling Performance in Trained Athletes. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, Volume 17, Issue, 4 Aug 2007:315-327.
• Desbrow B; Leveritt M. Well-Trained Endurance Athletes' Knowledge, Insight, and Experience of Caffeine Use. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, Volume 17, Issue, 4 Aug 2007:328-339.
• Desbrow B, Leveritt M. Awareness and use of caffeine by athletes competing at the 2005 Ironman Triathlon World Championships. Int. J. Sport Nutr Ex. Met. 2006 16:545-558.
• Hughes R and Desbrow B. The aspiring dietitians study: A pre-enrolment study of students motivations, awareness and expectations relating to careers in nutrition and dietetics. Nutr and Dietetics 2005 62:106-109.
• Desbrow B, Bauer J, Blum C, Kandasamy A, McDonald A and Montgomery K. Assessment of Nutritional Status in Haemodialysis Patients Using PG-SGA. J Renal Nutr 2005 15(2):211-6.
• Desbrow B, Anderson S, Barrett J, Rao E and Hargreaves M. Carbohydrate-Electrolyte Feedings and 1h Time Trial Cycling Performance Int J of Sport Nutr and Exerc Metab, 2004 14:1-9.
• Cox GR, Desbrow B, Montgomery PG, Anderson ME, Bruce CR, Macrides TA, Martin DT, Moquin A, Roberts A, Hawley JA and Burke LM. Effect of different protocols of caffeine intake on metabolism and endurance performance. J Appl Physiol. 2002 Sep;93(3):990-9.
• Burke, L.M., Hawley, J.A., Angus, D.J., Cox, G.R., Clark, S., Cumming, N.K., Desbrow, B., and Hargreaves, M. Adaptations to high-fat diet persists during exercise despite high carbohydrate availability. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2002 Jan;34(1):83-91.
• Burke L.M., Cox GR, Cummings NK and Desbrow B. Guidelines for daily carbohydrate intake: do athletes achieve them? Sports Med. 2001;31(4):267-99.
• Blanchard MA, Jordan G. Desbrow B, MacKinnon LT and Jenkins DG. The influence of diet and exercise on muscle and plasma glutamine concentrations. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2001 Jan; 33(1):69-74.
  

Book Co-authorships

• Burke L, Cox G, Cummings N, Desbrow B & Minehan M. Survival for the fittest: the Australian Institute of Sport official cookbook for busy athletes. Murdoch Magazines 1999.
  

Book Chapters

• Burke L, Cort M, Cox G, Crawford R, Desbrow B, Farthing L, Minehan M, Shaw N & Warnes O. Supplements and Sports Foods (Chapter 16). In Clinical Sports Nutrition 3rd ed. McGraw-Hill, Sydney, 2006.
• Burke L, Desbrow B & Minehan M. Dietary Supplements and Nutritional Ergogenic Aids (Chapter 17). In Clinical Sports Nutrition 2nd ed. McGraw-Hill, Sydney, 2000.
• Burke L, Broad E, Cox G, Desbrow B, Dziedzic C, Gurr S, Lalor B, Shaw G, Shaw N & Slater G. Supplements and Sports Foods (Chapter 16). In Clinical Sports Nutrition 4th ed. McGraw-Hill, Sydney, 2010.